I - Spitfire, Hellion, Rock-Bottom

2 - Playing with Fire


School sucked ass.

I detested school. I detested my classes even more. My schoolmates… well, if revoking people's right to live wouldn't land me in jail, I'd get rid of many of them in a heartbeat. Few things convinced me to attend altogether and I would've been happier literally anywhere else.

Marching through the school hallways reinforced my opinion even further. The bad graffiti and dick drawings scribbled across the walls weren't easy on the eyes. Few windows weren't shattered out of their frames and those remaining in one precarious piece had dirty colors stained across their entire surface. Trash and liquids were strategically placed on the floor to trip any idiot blind enough to step on them.

Irritating.

"I'm pretty sure I ordered to keep this joint tidy," I grumbled to Natsuko walking along me. The rest of my classmates followed closely behind.

"That you did, boss. We hired a couple of enthusiastic guys from class C and put them on cleaning duty. They're quite hard-working for the right price."

"Oh, yes. Bloody hard work they was doin'," I said while waving a hand at the disastrous sight sprawling before me. "They worked hard to create a new biological weapon. There's a whole-ass ecosystem on the floor. Hell, if you give the walls a lick you'll probably get a new quirk. How's a new power sound?"

Natsuko laughed.

"I can vouch for their outstanding service," she assured. "No, this charming representation of entropy is work of our rowdy juniors."

Disrespect.

"Their mommies ain't teach 'em to clean their rooms or somethin'?"

"Apparently," continued Natsuko. "They also seem to think that being in the rear end of society enables them to act like rear ends themselves. I figured they didn't mind living amongst garbage and filth, which is why I told our private janitors to stand by for the time being. We can't afford to waste money if the place will just get dirty yet again."

"…Makes sense, but this is unacceptable," I said. "I want this place squeaky clean. See to it and make sure those morons appreciate it."

"Righto. 'Appreciate' is a bit of a strong word, though. I have the inkling our juniors aren't thoughtful like that. They surely didn't wreck the hallway to create job opportunities for the people on cleaning duty, no matter how much those appreciate the extra cash."

I hummed. "So the peaceful, civil solution is outta the question."

Natsuko nodded in response.

"You and I know it has never been a feasible option. I propose we fuck 'em up, in less glamorous terms," she explained. "They're impressionable kids and an impression of a fist on their faces is sure to last. Any more tolerance than that and they'll think we're asking for it in a roundabout sort of way."

Ignorance.

"They be the ones askin' fer it. A fist down their throat, that is. Nasty motherfuckers."

"Sounds like you're a chef in need of some spice. How do you want to do it?"

"The what?"

"I'm asking how you want to traumatize them," clarified Natsuko. "Do we settle with an old-fashioned beating or are we feeling sadistic? We could cut them up and douse them in salt. If you want to humor me in my metaphors of cuisine and gore, we could just put them inside a bowl with hot water and let them stew for a few hours. I'm also partial to the introduction of long, ferrous objects inside the anal cavity. I call that one 'spit roasting'."

"Careful or ya'll make it sound weird," I mumbled. "Make that sodomization with a burning rod and maybe I'll consider it."

"Pffft… c-careful or you'll make it… No, no. I said nothing," she instantly assured the moment I gave her a look. "Anyway, time. Time is money. We should charge them for wasting ours. The question is when."

"Don't say 'we'. I just told you to deal with it, stupid."

She smiled me a Cheshire cat smile.

"Well I'm sorry boss. It's just that rumors can only keep the riffraff at bay for so long before you need to justify them. I figured punishment would be effective if you applied it," explained Natsuko with a funny tone. "Why, I also notice too much beating around this bush. Don't tell me you're getting cold feed with a bunch of troublesome babies."

Insolence.

I pinched the bridge of my nose with two fingers. Weariness washed over me in the same second and I felt my face twisting into an expression I didn't want to show. I let my hand linger and hid myself behind it.

"I'm real busy and this shit is so below me it spears right through the earth's crust," I explained. "Get someone else to take them down a notch 'fore they do something even nastier. I ain't got no time to babysit."

Natsuko dedicated me a mockery of a military salute. Then she turned her head towards our classmates. "Yamada, Daisuke, you heard the boss. Go find our juniors and gently smack the retarded out of them. The ones you should search for are led by a guy named 'Hayate', so ask for him. Chop-chop now."

They answered with a dutiful "Yes ma'am" and broke away from our group. As soon as I heard them turn around a corner, I uncovered my face and looked at Natsuko.

"It sounds as if you saw this Hayate dude and his following of imbeciles in person," I commented. "Why ain't you stop 'em in the act?"

The blue midget put a hand on her chest. She gasped, apparently flabbergasted.

"Who? Me? What is a fragile little girl like me to do against the byproducts of radioactive tequila and broken condoms?" said Natsuko. "Should I have talked them to death? They'd probably laugh at me and then rape me, in the best of cases. Now, if you just let me use my quirk, I could do them a real wrong-"

"Nah. Yer right. Don't even think about it."

"So there you have it," Natsuko said with a sigh, dropping her theatrical tone while keeping her smile.

"It does beg the question. Why send only two people, Daisuke and Yamada at that? They're tough but they ain't the toughest," I reasoned. "Miguel and Kenji are better for the job."

"Miguel and Kenji are also valuable assets by virtue of their quirks," responded Natsuko without missing a beat. "We can't just send them to every juvenile, malnourished lion that gets thrown into this zoo. At least not without some info."

After going over the matter a few times in my head, I concluded Natsuko had the right idea. I gave her a nod and said nothing else of the matter.

As we kept walking, I noticed two smells. The first, a pungent, putrid scent that was sure to come from the toilets nearby. They probably were in dire need of cleaning too. I grimaced but my classmates didn't even react.

The second smell hit me like a freight train seconds later. A musky, earthy kind of smell.

SMELLS LIKE CANCER

Red flashed across my vision for a moment.

A growl crawled up my throat seconds later and I couldn't keep it down. My classmates following me noticed the growl and smell, and were quicker to detect the latter's source.

"Heya, Miss Despot Bitch," called out a lazy, carefree voice.

I looked down and growled all the way, until my eyes found the offender. It was a student from another class. He was squatting down in a lone corner of the hallway. His hair was disheveled, greasy, and so was his black uniform on which I could spot shiny stains of something. The soiled clothes didn't catch my attention as much as his shiny ear piercing did, though.

Could I rip the skin off his skull if I pulled that piercing with the right grip?

I couldn't help imagining. Distantly, I felt my fingers twitch; they were readying themselves to go for the envisioned kill the nanosecond I slipped, the bloodthirsty bastards. I still managed to conjure patience when there was none and delay the tragedy…

…Barely. I wouldn't have minded to get red-handed.

I felt someone push past me. My mind was quick to call Insolence even as I registered it was just Natsuko shielding me from the other student. I stared at the back of her head. When did she dye her blue hair a crimson color?

"Lovely mouth you've got there, Kotoji-san" I heard Natsuko say. "A good wash with soap would make it even lovelier, though I figure you first need a good brushing of teeth. Ah, my apologies, I don't believe you're acquainted with the concept of 'brush' in general."

"Hah. If it ain't the bitch's bitch. Come closer and say that again, I ain't hear nothin' of what ya just said. Or is your leash too short?"

Natsuko shook her head. She pinched her nose and grimaced.

"No way. Dogs are rather sensitive to smells, you see, and at this distance I'm surprised you haven't put me in a coma with yours," she rebutted. "Actually, I'm inclined to believe you also suffer from a grave case of ablutophobia."

"Fuck's that? German or some shit?"

Natsuko recoiled while making a disgusted, exaggerated noise.

"Not at all. It's just the scientific term for 'go take a shower, you disgusting twat'."

Said twat laughed heartily before stuffing his cigarette back into his mouth. He took some deep, rough puffs before exhaling and further contaminating the place with gaseous nicotine.

SMELLS LIKE CANCER CANCER KILLS SO IT'S FINE IF YOU KILL HIM

The twitchy fingers transformed into clenched fists. When patience didn't cut it, I settled with sheer willpower, itching to express the building aggression in any way.

I trusted in Natsuko's ability to defuse the situation. Or so I liked to believe, but the image of a burning rod came up in my head, and I began reconsidering the idea of torture.

"Any bitch can bark mad shit while her owner's sticking up for her, can't she?" he shot back. "Yer a sad fucking sight, Yagami. A while ago you took no shit from nobody and now yer eating from that uppity whore's palm. Turns out ya ain't scary like the rumors said."

Kotoji pointed his cigarette at me as he spat his opinion of Natsuko. The gremlin herself didn't seem particularly shaken, even if his analysis of her hit right on the money.

"Let me share a bit of insight with you, Kotoji-san. It's possible to tell bravery apart from stupidity by a lack of judgment. Seeing as you enjoy running off your mouth, confusing my allegiance with weakness… well, I'd say you're a very poor judge of character."

"Blah blah and more blah." Kotoji took another stuff and snickered. "Talk pretty all you like, ya blue gnome. The truth is the truth no matter if I say it or if Jesus fuckin' Christ says it. And the truth? The truth is that yer. A little. Bitch. And so is that massive cunt you call 'boss' behind ya."

Natsuko turned her head.

She gave me a funny look with her dark eyes.

"Stupidity it is." Then she looked behind me. "What say you, my brethren?"

I heard steps behind me. Miguel and Miwa appeared alongside me in a matter of seconds.

"I say we lynch him. Boss, please lemme have at him," asked Miguel while cracking his knuckles. "This marica likes talking shit and this ain't the first time he's acted tough. One punch to the throat and he ain't talking none more."

"I'm with Mike on this one," continued Miwa. "I have a bone to pick with ugly 'n' smelly over here."

"Ahhh, c'mon, Miwa-chan. You still won't let that one go? It was a j-o-k-e, okay? A lil' harmless joke. I ain't hurt nobody."

"You followed me into the washroom, bastard."

"And who says I followed you specifically?" questioned Kotoji. "It's nice 'n' all you have a good opinion of your ass, but you ain't all that much to me. Though if you get down on all fours and beg, I can probably pretend I'm the only one in this school who wants to plow ya. That's a big 'probably', though."

"Why you…!"

Miwa stomped her foot as she made to approach Kotoji. Miguel tensed up and Natsuko took a step aside to let Miwa pass, gesturing at the slanderer behind while saying "All yours".

Time stopped and so did everyone. For a moment, there was the sound of rushing blood in my ear and nothing else. It was hard to see through so much red, red, red and I just couldn't blink the scarlet slobber away. But just as I was about to surrender my consciousness and fate to the anger, I forced myself to inhale.

Normal color returned. The thunderous heartbeat besides me slowly sank into the backdrop. Reality came crashing and I crashed against it in turn. It was physically painful as much as it was necessary to drop down from that raging high. When I did, I took in another sharp breath, supplying my brain with a much-needed dose of oxygen and clarity. I took another quickly, nervous that the receding anger could come back with a vengeance if I relaxed too soon.

Only then did I realize I'd stopped Miwa on her tracks by putting a hand on her shoulder. The imminent bout didn't come to be. She was looking back at me, angry, confused, and there was crisp fear flashing across her expression too, so crisp I could nearly taste it.

Conquer.

No, no, no. No. Miwa was not an enemy. She was not even though she was playing with fire, taunting me with all those lovely signs of weakness, so close I could smell the cold sweat on her cheek, so close I could hear the speeding ba-dum ba-dum in her chest.

My mouth began watering and the course of action became clear in my mind. I had to bite off her face. Then I'd rip out her heart and crush it. Here, she'd be another example, a bleeding monument to my authority, and people would think twice before provoking me-

"Calm down."

A moment that felt like an eternity came and went. Then came the realization that it was me talking, ordering Miwa as much as I was ordering myself to get my shit together.

"B-But boss. This guy, he just said…"

Challenge.

I gritted my teeth. Miwa's voice grated on my ears, a noise of opposition inciting the darker parts of my brain.

"I know what he said, idiot," I replied and it took humongous effort to keep my voice level. "Calm the hell down."

Her expression softened. Now there wasn't fear, not really. Submission, perhaps, and a bit of respect sprinkled with understanding.

"Boss, he…"

"He's nothin'. Don't give him the pleasure of being somethin' to ya. You might as well write him a love letter if yer gonna punch him."

Miwa clenched her fists, looking back and forth with indecision. She finally backed off after a bit of internal debate. She spat on the ground next to Kotoji and walked away. The others did the same and waited for my instructions. Natsuko crossed her arms, unsmiling, and Kotoji whistled and irritating noise.

"Wow! Violent and sassy as they are, ya really trained yer puppies to sit on command. Neat trick. Can they give a paw too?"

"Don't push it," I said without looking at him. "The hallway is disastrous as it is to spill yer greasy blood all over it."

Kotoji giggled that abominable noise again. Gosh, this was hard.

"Careful there. Keep layin' on to me and I'll begin thinking ya care 'bout me."

I huffed and walked past him.

"It'd be the first time someone gives a damn about you. That said, go take a shower, you smelly cunt. I could literally sniff you from another hallway."

He laughed yet again. "Roger that, Miss Despot Bitch! Oh, wait… are we still in a dictatorship or did we shift into a monarchy? Should I hafta address yer ass as 'Queen Bitch the Sluttiest', then? Hahahahaha!"

Everyone else walked past that pitiful specimen of a human being. They couldn't really ignore him. From the corner of my eye, I saw most of them shoot Kotoji a glare that could've burned a hole into him. Thank God, nobody had heat vision or the guys on cleaning duty would have a field day.

The rest of the walk continued in absolute silence. The dirty jokes and childish insults were conspicuous in their absence; my guys didn't skip on the chance to talk smack whenever they could. Thankfully, the footsteps helped me distract myself from the erratic heartbeats behind me.

We finally turned up at the only clean hallway I'd seen in the entire morning. We walked some more and stopped in front of one classroom. Then I turned to look at my classmates.

They wore irritated expressions on their faces. Some were slumping, cursing under their breath. Most tensed up under my gaze, waiting for me to speak. And speak I did.

"Fuck y'all lookin' so gloomy for?"

I didn't even need to scream to get their attention. They stood taller, all of a sudden, setting numerous twitching eyes on me.

There was frustration in there. Impatience. Hunger. A few people stole one too many glances behind them. Whenever they stared back at me, I could see the feelings intensify even more.

Weak.

"This feel like a goddamn funeral procession. And why, because of a shit-talking, ass-smelling, smoking chunk of human-shaped dick-cheese?" I continued. Then I pointed a finger from where we came. "Raise hands all those who wanna go back to search for their balls because someone must've dropped 'em on the way. I see many of you looking back. I see y'all. Be my guest if you lost somethin', but don't bother comin' back."

There were chuckles. There were knowing smiles too. The straying eyes strayed no more once I said my piece. Once I checked everyone's eyes were unanimously on me, I put a hand on the door of the classroom besides me.

"Nobody? Everybody's checked their cock didn't fall off?" I asked with a raised eyebrow. The response came in the form of more chuckles and 'no ma'ams'. "Good. I ain't wanna be seen walkin' along fucking eunuchs. Yer animals, aintcha? Yer predators. A predator don't get his panties in a bunch for no prey."

At the mention of 'animals', someone unleashed an actual howl from within the crowd. I think it was Oyuki. Everyone else joined in with a howl of their own and the hallway soon turned into a freaking concert. I had to resist slapping a hand onto my face but if it got their rocks off, I couldn't really complain.

I slid the door open for them.

"Yeah, yeah, you're all big, bad, scary wolves. Now get inside before you scare someone to death."

The howling stopped for a moment, somewhat. Kenji then came up to me.

"Boss, I can hold the door for you. You don't have to wait outside."

I shook my head.

"No. Save it," I ordered while gesturing towards the classroom with my eyes. "C'mon, all of you! Get inside before I leash you like actual dogs and drag you myself! I don't have all day."

There was a moment of indecision, but they got the message. Any further protest died down in the ensuing cacophony of howls. My classmates squeezed themselves through the door gap in a dance of pushes and shoves. I heard even louder howls coming from the classroom where there were even more people waiting, itching to join in the fun.

"That's it. Nice and easy. Don't bite each other too much. I'd say 'ladies first' but there ain't no fragile lil' lady mixed up in there with ya, is it?" I commented and stole a few more laughs out of the roaring horde. "Move along now… except you."

Just then, I grabbed Miguel by his uniform before he got swept in by the rushing students. I quickly dragged him away from view, just a few steps away from the door. He stared at me, heart beating wildly against his broad chest still. I took my hand off him before my heartbeat mimicked his own.

"Sorry Mike. I needed your ears and no one else's."

Miguel shook his head. "Don't even worry about it ma'am. What's up?"

I looked around to make sure nobody was listening. Once I checked, I gestured for him to get closer. He did, and then I whispered.

"Quiero que vuelvas y le quiebres los brazos al putito ese. Dale sin piedad. Hace que cante como un pajarito."

Miguel had a blank look for a few moments. It didn't take long to transform into a wide smile with sharp fangs on display.

"Con todo gusto, patrona."

It took some effort not to smile back at him. At least one of us had to have a head on their shoulders and Miguel was the muscle already.

This is not fun. This is to set an example, I thought to myself.

Even then, even then… I couldn't pretend I'd have liked to kill that bitch myself.

I grabbed his uniform again as he turned to leave.

"I also need you to take two things."

"Things?" intoned Miguel. "Which, ma'am?"

"Take a picture when you're done, first of all," I clarified. "And take off his pants too. Bring them both, of course."

Miguel let out a beastly giggle. He gave me thumbs up.

"Attaboy." I gave him a friendly slap on the butt and then he strutted back where we came from, rolling his shoulders all the while.

I just waited there. I waited until he turned around the corner. Once he did, I waited some more, and then let out the sigh that had been building up since we stumbled upon Kotoji.

My wristwatch beeped. I raised it enough so that I could see it.

One-hundred and eighty seven beats per minute.

I wasn't so focused on the ominous numbers as much as I was on the steadily bulging veins beneath my skin. A few spots of my wrist were changing colors, slowly shifting between reds and greys.

Softie.

I immediately slapped myself over the head.

"Shut up," I mumbled. "You ain't helping."

"Something troubling you, boss?"

I tensed up and looked at the voice calling me all of a sudden.

Natsuko was there, coolly leaning against a wall with arms crossed. She had her trademark smile on her face. She stared with those beady dark eyes of her, and if I didn't know better, I could've sworn she was making fun of me in some way.

Insolence.

"I ain't troubled. I usually just get rid of the stuff that piss me off," I explained. "Right now yer pissin' me off a little."

"Okay. How do I not piss you off?"

I let her question hang for a bit. I took a couple of seconds to breathe and put a hand on my hip.

"I told you not to use your quirk," I said. "I was havin' a private conversation with Mikey. You spy on us. Even if he couldn't see yer stupid-ass face, I would've noticed eventually. If you dared use it on me, I'll…"

Kill her kill her kill her kill her kill her kill her kill her kill her

I began moving towards her. I took two steps and Natsuko lazily pointed at the classroom with her thumb.

"I just hid behind the door, boss. Nothing more."

That was enough to stop me.

"That so?"

"I swear on my name," replied she with a hand on her chest and a raised palm.

"That don't mean nothin'."

"It's just about the one thing I haven't lied about," insisted Natsuko as she showed me her tongue. "There are many ways to eavesdrop and most don't require superpowers. I was simply listening behind a cover."

I raised an eyebrow. She probably sensed my doubt and sighed.

"It's true, you would have noticed if there was something sketchy at work. You didn't notice because there was nothing to notice. That's enough proof, I'd say."

I stared at her for a good number of seconds. She stared back with a suspiciously curvy smile, hands now behind her back. I sighed a longer sigh and put a hand on my neck.

"…Well, I don't really give a shit if you snoop around. It's your job," I conceded. "Careful with yer timin', though. I may just kill you if you give me a wrong impression and I'm on edge."

"Awwww. Are you worried about me?"

"I'm worried about you as much as a chess player is worried about the queen. I could do without you, but I'd prefer to keep you around."

"I'll take it as a yes~" she replied with a singsong voice.

Natsuko and I finally stepped into the classroom.

Any upstanding government official would've fainted upon entering this school of hell. The students had no care for the state of the building. They were also quick to show this disregard by fucking up every spotless inch of anything they could find until it reflected their rot back at them. The thoroughly ravaged hallways were proof of this. Most classrooms were even worse but we could not do much about it. We didn't care about those either.

If I hadn't given the order, the entire place would've just been an overpopulated junkyard. To be honest, I wouldn't have cared, not really. However, if these anencephalic chimpanzees were to be locked in here with me, they'd follow my goddamn rules and tidy up the ground I walked.

This classroom and the hallway just outside were my territory. My orderly, clean havens. They weren't comfortable nor pretty and they were sure as hell not peaceful. Fuck no, they weren't.

However, they were clean. There weren't unnecessary spots of filth to ignite violent genocidal urges within me. A tiny satisfaction after so many disappointments.

The windows had a clear view of the sunny outside instead of the usual muddled nothingness. My guys had scrubbed and mopped the floor real good, so much I could even see the red colors of my uniform and hair when I looked down. And the walls… thank God, Buddha, and Allah for walls that were in one consistent piece. I still remember those two classrooms that turned into one because the wall separating them got fucking smashed down.

A few dozens of students were coming and going inside the classroom. Many had arranged desks and chairs into one big table and were betting actual money on card games – poker or blackjack, I guessed. Drinks and snacks were strewn around where they didn't bother, along unopened packs of cigarettes.

A couple others were sleeping, using desks as makeshift beds. Some were playing phone games, reading manga or simply chatting about trivial topics. They were having a good time, sporting smiley faces when not so long ago our abominable education system threatened to slurp the soul out of them. Most were students from my class, but quite a few weren't. All were my employees all the same.

They were so entertained they didn't notice I was standing there.

Natsuko took note of this and stepped forward. She spared me a look. I nodded, crossed my arms, and looked away. She cleared her throat, standing firm with one arm behind her back.

"Listen up boys 'n' girls!" shouted Natsuko. "The boss is here! Get off your asses and show her a modicum of respect!"

The students immediately heeded Natsuko's call. They stopped whatever they were doing, actually stood at attention, and then bowed their heads after a couple of seconds.

"Good afternoon, boss!" they said in unison.

The students stared at me after their greeting. I waited, scanning everyone's steadfast expressions as they set their eyes on me. I finally dismissed them with a lazy gesture of the hand.

"Good afternoon. Sit down y'all. Go back to your business."

"Thank you, boss!" And they sat down.

I began walking. A few students were still looking at me, putting on their best faces with wide smiles.

"Heya boss. How's it hangin'?"

"Welcome boss! Hope you had a good day."

"Lookin' good as always, boss. It's nice to see you."

"Good afternoon boss. We were waiting for you."

"…Sup," I simply said. I didn't spare anybody a second glance.

I felt eyes on me. I saw wild movement from the corner of my eye, heard my minions whispering angrily between each other. When I was halfway into the classroom, the movement continued behind me, and soon enough, Miwa and Kenji appeared besides me.

"Boss, let me pick up your bag. Your shoulders must be tired," offered the well-spoken Kenji. "I'll put it somewhere safe."

I hummed and gave him my schoolbag without thinking twice. Just before he could do his task, I took out the book I was reading. Then I shooed him away. My gaze followed him around the room as he gently placed my belongings on some sort of chair fort away from everyone else.

Miwa was the next to speak. "Are you hungry boss? We bought a ton of food. Is there anything in particular you'd want?"

After thinking about it for a second, I responded. "Give me something sweet to drink. No snacks, though. Ain't hungry yet."

"Roger!" chimed the girl.

"Also. No smokin'. I saw the packs on the table, so I hope none of you forget 'bout it. I'll get mad if I catch a whiff of tobacco on my uniform."

Miwa shook her head. "It's okay boss. That ain't fer smoking here. The guys are just betting. 'S just silly games."

I hummed and waved her away. I walked onwards, setting my sights on the teacher's desk… had it been there.

"Hey, where's the teacher's desk? I always use it…" I said to no one in particular. "Actually, what the hell is that?"

There was no teacher's desk. Chairs and tables had been piled up at the very front of the classroom where it should've been. They were stacked one over another, positioned in the form of a… seat. A big seat. There was a dark red mantle spread over the center of that 'seat', along with some pillows.

"Ah, boss. That one's a present," informed Oyuki from a lone corner with her casual, sleepy tone. "We thought the school chairs were too uncomfortable, so we decided to build that for you. Don't it look like a throne? It's almost like you're royalty, hahaha~"

"Uh-huh… Royalty. I guess I just be missin' the crown."

I settled for a dull response. I could've pointed out the twisted irony in the very existence of this 'throne', minutes after I'd been called 'Queen Bitch'. Why bother, though? 'C'est la vie' or some shit to that effect. I was an utter bitch. I had also considered the application of enlightened despotism for some time. The universe was probably telling me something.

Oh well. Icarus bit the dust because he flew too close to the sun. I could probably soar a bit lower than him, enjoy the dream without breaking my neck on landing.

I went up the discount throne and sat on it. I shifted on it, and my back sank into the soft surface well enough. It was… surprisingly comfortable. One wouldn't normally expect the animals to construct anything this remotely stable or useful, but I was kind of liking it already.

I crossed one leg over the other. Then, I whipped out my book in front of me.

It was paperback. The title, 'The Essentials of Business Management', was etched in fancy golden letters on the cover. Just beneath, there was a cute little caricature of a man and a woman in formal black suits, talking with each other about… business, I supposed. They surely weren't talking about pandas or French fries for all I knew.

I stuck my thumb inside and flicked the thing open right where I left it.

The page was barely legible, full of annotations and underlines in blue ink over the original text, courtesy of moi. My eyes scanned the parody of Egyptian hieroglyphics, seeking a particular bit of information amongst the scribbles. I stabbed the paper with my index the moment I found it.

A heading peeked timidly beneath my roughed nail. 'Useful Tip Number 5: always remember to schedule free time!'

I let my finger slide down the page. I focused on those parts of the text I'd highlighted with pen.

'…Never forget to kick back and relax every now and then! Running a business isn't just about slaving yourself or your employees away. It's important to work hard and responsibly as much as it is to know when to stop. Constant labor can only bring so many good results before it wears the personnel down, negatively affecting the output of the company. Productivity, morale and motivation can be kept at an all-time high with a tidy timetable, giving the employees the clear expectation of a well-deserved break after busy hours of work!'

My finger moved to the side of the page. There was a little annotation of mine, just besides the paragraph.

'The students under my command always call me boss at school. Should we be on a first-name basis when we're not enforcing order? It may reduce stress if they can let their hair down around me, separate work from school life. Consider and test.'

I clicked my tongue. I shoved a hand inside my skirt pocket—thank God for skirt pockets—and produced a pen. I poised it just beneath my annotation where there still was a bit of free space to write. And write I did.

'Failure. The animals can't calm down when I'm around. They're too scared of me to act casually. They're also on edge all the time; they're easily provoked by others and quick to anger. School is not a place to rest.'

"Why must you torture yourself, boss? We just escaped from class and textbooks, and here you are martyrizing yourself with yet another insipid read."

Insolence.

I lifted my head and saw Natsuko approaching the throne with a smile. I scoffed.

"I ain't feel like reading in class. I feel like reading now," I explained, disinterested. "Nobody can tell me when I oughta do this or that. Things would be simpler that way."

"They'd be boring, too. The daily struggle against the world makes the moments of conquest sweeter."

"It ain't 'sweet' when you've got cock-measuring competitions every single day with every single acne-riddled dweeb and his cat." I sighed. "It's like tellin' a brain-dead moron the sky's blue and he just don't get it because, obviously, he's brain-dead and a moron. But he'll insist anyway and you've got this urge to punch the moron outta him."

Having said that, I leaned back and twirled my pen around my fingers. Some strands of hair strayed close to my face and I blew them away.

"I mean, just think of… I dunno, All Might. Old man's strong, he's crazy strong, but you've got these pathetic, smalltime fools runnin' around, robbing banks or some shit cuz they think they're hotshots. And then, BAM! There comes a smiling, blond metric ton of muscle and beats their ass within an inch of their life, and they're like, 'oh, why did this happen to me?' 'Oh, how could've been beaten so easily?' Well, it's cuz yer a brain-dead moron tryin' his rotten luck against a monster. But you ain't get it and that's why yer in jail now."

I shut my book and dumped it on my thighs.

"And they really ain't get it. Well… those are petty criminals, they ain't villains. The real villains, the tough ones, they don't advertise themselves like that. They bid their time. They wait for the right moment. Then, they strike hard and fast, and vanish. You don't have many options when the strongest hero can just get in your face in a fraction of a second… Oi, ya listenin'?"

"Every single word, boss," responded Natsuko with a chuckle. "It's not every day I get you to chat with me and I didn't want to interrupt."

"Well, now that's so damn sweet of… wait a sec."

I shifted in my seat and leaned forward. I stared down and saw Natsuko just sitting there on a lower section of my throne, looking comfy and relaxed on the red mantle spilling over the desks beneath.

Disrespect.

"The hell yer doin' down there, dwarf?" I questioned Natsuko. "This is my throne. Get off right now."

"Awww. That's so mean, fairest and most ruthless queen. You won't even grace this lowborn with a place beneath your feet and the view of your underskirt?" whined she before covering her lips with a hand, a mischievous look on her eyes. "And on that note… boxers again, boss? Really?"

Insolence.

I groaned and looked away, pulling my skirt a bit lower.

"Yeah bitch. Boxers again. We got a problem?"

Natsuko shook her head. She laughed sadly, as if she had given up

"Boss, you're a lady, a really beautiful one. We already discussed this. The boss bitch knows how to dress for the occasion on top of kicking ass. Would it kill you to wear something befitting of your sex? I fear the day you and the person you love sleep together and you look like you're about to run a marathon."

"Women's underwear is expensive. I'll end up broke if I get finicky with the things I wear, especially at the rate I incinerate my clothes… anyhow, that ain't the point. I told you to get off."

The blue gnome squirmed on her spot and pouted. Natsuko stared at me with inflated cheeks and crossed arms.

"Hmph! Here I am looking out for you and your public image and this is how you repay me. Boss, I'm hurt, terribly so. My feelings have been dealt a death blow."

Annoying.

"I don't give two shits about your feelings, dude…" I replied with a groan. "Ugh, whatever, I don't care no more. If yer gonna stick to me like bubblegum then let's talk money. I want to make a quick review of our budget."

Her face immediately changed and she was excited again. She whipped out her cellphone and climbed up until she was around the same height as me. Right then Miwa appeared at the bottom of the throne and threw me the drink I asked for.

"So, how's the cash cow?" I asked Natsuko as I caught the drink midair. "She ain't complaining too much, is she?"

Natsuko didn't reply immediately. She hummed as her fingers dashed across the screen of her cellphone. After a couple of seconds of intense search, she finally found a document in particular and opened it. There were notes I couldn't make out too clearly in it.

"Most of the teachers agreed to pay for protection and uninterrupted classes. They were less reticent to accept now that they know our methods work. We'll have steady funding, so we're looking at a good beginning this year."

"Nice. Who're the poor fools that didn't accept the deal, though?" I asked. "I fear they may get one or two reality checks in the following days. Life's a bitch like that."

"They are… Mister Nagito, mathematics teacher; Miss Tsukimi, Japanese teacher, and Mister Kurosawa, science teacher."

"…I don't hear those names till now."

"That's because they're substitute teachers. Fresh meat," answered Natsuko. "The actual teachers resigned after an insolent student coerced them into coughing up cash or face the risk of public lynching. It happened a few days ago."

Weak.

I felt my lips twitch.

"They were so aggravated, so infuriated," continued Natsuko. "One of them even hurled a chair throw the window, howling 'you conniving little shits deserve to be put in Tartarus like the criminal scum you are!' and other curses to that effect."

The blue-haired gremlin turned to look at me. She flashed me that devilish grin only she could make.

"Kids these days, I tell you."

The lip twitches came back with a vengeance. I couldn't resist.

"Pfft… Hahahahahahaha!" I grabbed onto my throne for stability as I laughed and laughed. "W-What did I tell you? The sky's blue and some morons just don't get it without a good beating first, hahahahaha!"

Natsuko didn't laugh along. She just nodded and smiled, waiting as I cackled madly. When my throat began to feel sore, I opened my drink and took a nice long gulp. I shivered when my tasted buds finally registered the sweet, sweet flavor of grapes melting in my mouth.

"Fwah… man, this shit hits the spot," I commented while looking at the bottle. "Anyway, y'know the drill. Spread the word. If anyone wants to show the new teachers some tough hospitality, they've got my blessings to do so. Let's give the new additions a big scare."

My secretary hummed as she tapped her phone some more.

"No fatal victims, I presume?"

"What? Nah, hell no. I don't want no corpses in Dairoku. How many times do I hafta tell you?" I said with a grumble. "If the animals value their life then they'll know not to take someone else's. Warn them just in case."

She nodded resolutely. Her fingers kept dancing across the screen, perhaps typing down my indications.

"I wanna know our numbers for this year," I said after a bit.

"Hmm. Are we still charging ten percent?"

I sipped up my drink, feeling the fizzy liquid bubbling down my throat. My fingers played with the bottle, dangling it in circles as I sucked in a sharp breath. I rested one cheek on my open palm and pushed my thumb against my lips.

"Make it seventeen percent," I said. "No biz makes profits by keeping the same price forever. The grownups get pretty juicy salaries comin' here so they can let go of a yen or two. It's not as if they have a choice anyway."

"The wonders of owning the monopoly of violence," admitted my secretary. "Now, let's see…"

I could hear Natsuko muttering numbers and names. It didn't take her long to come up with an answer.

"We should collect around ¥1.955.000 per month, cash in hand, if everything goes smoothly. It never does but the teachers don't fail to pay one way or another."

Not bad, not bad at all. It was a nice sum considering we were just taking out a relatively small percentage from each individual salary. I could definitely keep things running with that money. Hell, I could probably buy that smart TV I've been eyeing for a while. Mine had cracks on the screen. I shouldn't have thrown that book at it.

"I like these numbers. I like 'em big 'n' juicy."

"That's what she said."

"Course she did. Yer mom knows what she likes," I replied without missing a beat. "How confident do you feel about the profits?"

"The teachers won't be fooling us anytime soon," she assured. "I've gotten hold of their paychecks, so I'll definitely notice if the gross result is not as expected."

"Nice," I praised as I took a sip of my drink.

"Nice indeedy. Those are the good numbers, though. We also need to sort out the 'bad' numbers – namely, wages. Since we're charging more for our magnanimous services…"

"I ain't paying higher wages, period," I cut her off. "These idiots ain't researchin' the cure for cancer or anythin' important. Why should I give them more money than they know what to do with? They earn far too much for a teenager, if ya ask me. I even loan them cash to buy food, goddammit."

Natsuko sighed in apparent relief at my response.

"Thanks for being the voice of reason," she said with an exasperated voice. "I feared you'd find a weeny lil' bit of empathy in your heart and let it cloud your judgment. This business is hard to run smoothly as it is to blow through our capital out of good will."

I felt a grimace twisting my face at her commentary.

Disrespect.

"…What am I, motherfucking Theresa of Calcutta? This's my goddamn money we're talkin' about. It pisses me off that you'd even consider it."

"Well, it's not bad to ensure the boss bitch has her head on her shoulders. Some don't and their bad decisions comes bite them in the bum later. Ah, speaking about bad decisions, there's another matter I'd like to bring to your attention. Serious stuff."

I raised an eyebrow. Seeing that Natsuko's expression didn't betray signs of fooling around, I leaned forward, close enough so that I could listen to this 'serious stuff' in detail.

"What?"

She glanced around. After making sure nobody were too close to overhear, she leaned forward too.

"Drugs," she simply said. "'Shatter', to be specific. Someone's selling it to the students."

Challenge.

I heard a crack. I didn't need to look to know it was the bottle in my hand.

"…Ya sure?"

"As sure as blood is red," she replied. "I've seen the product exchange hands here and there. Mostly between juniors. I believe that the actual supplier is amongst the seniors, however, but I haven't had the chance to spy on them and confirm my suspicions. They move in big groups. If they caught me, that'd definitely spell my end."

Challenge. Insolence.

"That's bad. That's real bad," I muttered, restless. "And the supervisors? They know?"

"They haven't got a clue. Otherwise, we'd swarmed with police officers right now. I don't think they'll investigate any shady business as long as they never discover there's illicit substances involved."

"Keep it the classified, then. Restrict the flow of information," I ordered. "If word gets out and the authorities stick their nose, we'll get a one-way ticket straight into Tartarus, for real this time. How long has this been goin' on?"

Natsuko began toying with her phone. She spun it on her palm, a disinterested air to her face.

"I've discovered the deals two weeks ago. The drugs must've been going around for a bit longer than that, I believe. The students don't seem stupid enough to consume within school grounds, but at the rate things are devolving, we should expect a case of overdose sooner than later. It'll be hard to find an excuse when a student begins foaming at the mouth or beats another to death amidst a rage attack, though."

Insolence.

I groaned and slumped onto my throne. I tried to take another sip of my drink, sweeten the bitter thoughts and swallow them along with the liquid. A few drops trickled down my tongue and then I noticed I'd finished it already.

Strike now. Strike first. Strike hard. Burn. Burn. Burn. Burn. Burn. Burn. Burn. Burn.

There was another crack. I sighed and bit my lip, thinking.

"Arson seems like a beautifully straightforward solution at times like this," I said through gritted teeth. "No, no. Murder is a no-go. It'll just unearth the issues faster."

Natsuko chuckled a crooked noise.

"I wouldn't mind if you break the cardinal rule, boss. No fatal victims this, no fatal victims that… Makes you wonder if that attitude won't turn us into fatal victims in the end. Besides, these are drug dealers. Real criminals. Will you just let them screw around unpunished?"

Red flashed across my vision.

Breathe. Breathe. Breathe.

Breathe I did and the red vanished.

I stared down and saw Natsuko wiggling uncomfortably as I pulled a handful of hair along with her head.

Decapitate. Behead her. Finish her off.

Not yet. Not yet.

My breath hitched. I blinked and pulled Natsuko closer.

"Listen to me, you little mental slut," I growled in a low voice. "I told you not to tease me. Don't just drop a nuke like that and then question my decisions seconds later. If you really wanna see me rampage throughout the school, I'll remind ya yer close enough to be my first kill."

"N-No, boss. I said I'd never dare, truly. It's just that, guh… it's just that I fear you're being too soft. If the rebels aren't crushed swiftly, they'll just cause more and more problems and eventually ruin everything, the business, your reputation. These drug deals are proof things are getting out of hand again."

I leaned back. I let the gnome go after considering for a couple of seconds. She rubbed the back of her head, murmuring a relieved "Thank you".

"Things're lookin' bad, yeah," I admitted. "But killin' will speed up the disaster and then I'll be invariably fucked. We hafta play it smart, play it cool. We'll crush the responsible ones in due time."

"…I honestly wonder if they'll wait until we organize ourselves for an assault," added the gremlin with another sigh. "I'm of the opinion we should strike them down with fury, as soon as possible. This is the exact reason we had that unfortunate encounter in the hallw-"

"Mike! The fuck you've been, man! We had a shogi match to settle… What the hell is that? Pants?"

Natsuko and I perked up. We stared at the source of the voice that dared interrupt our conversation.

Miguel had finally come back from his cunt-slaying quest. He strutted through the door, holding black pants in one of his hands. Miwa had noticed and called out to him, drawing attention to something that should've remained hidden.

Miguel nearly spoke out of turn. He caught my stare and froze. I quickly put a finger over my lips and shook my head. Then I mouthed 'later'. He got the memo and winked at me with a smile.

"The pants're for you, Mimi," responded Miguel with swift timing. "It's time you confess the truth. Don't worry dude, I've gotcha covered. I know you ain't comfortable in a woman's body, usin' skirt and all, but I've always got my bros' backs."

"Fuck! That does it! C'mere so I can fist you!"

"No way dude! Das gay!"

The two idiots began running around the classroom. The others cheered and laughed at the ensuing scene.

"Yes. There's also that," continued Natsuko in a quieter tone. "You could explain the thought process behind that too."

"Dunno. What's that 'that' yer babbling about?"

"The inaction. The secrecy. Was it necessary to blue-ball the guys when they were about to execute Kotoji? They were positively itching to relieve some stress. Not only you deny them that release, you also send Miguel to enact punishment afterwards. It would've been more efficient to go down that route from the start."

"It could've, yeah. But it don't happen that way."

"...I still wish to know why."

I crossed my arms beneath my chest and huffed.

"I can't have my employees lynch every jackass who rubs them off the wrong way," I explained. "It ain't the point of the business. We're supposed to prevent problems, not cause 'em. If they ain't botherin' the teachers then we don't bother either."

"One or two 'unfortunate accidents' needn't be problems, boss. They could be examples. Shows of power. Warnings to those who want to step out of line. Think of it as… daring marketing strategies."

Insolence.

I huffed and looked aside.

"Fear don't last forever. It's better to spook 'em once and then keep 'em guessin'," I reasoned. "They'll turn fear into anger if we step on their necks every day. Plus, they'll think we're pussies who can't handle a bit o' banter."

"And you're not worried their egos will get inflated if we let them be? It has happened already."

Challenge.

I felt one of my eyes twitch. I turned and gave Natsuko a look.

"My ego don't disintegrate like wet paper from one or two insults," I answered impatiently. "But…"

Another red curtain crossed before me. It did not stay too long like the past times, but I could still hear my blood rushing, my heart thumping just besides my ear. Each beat reverberated accompanied by a word of defiance, a look of scorn, a show of disrespect.

The hallway is trashed.

Heya, Miss Despot Bitch.

Drugs. Shatter. Someone's selling it to the students.

"But?"

Natsuko's voice wrenched me away from the infuriating images fed to my mind. Metal and sulfur mixed on my tongue as I licked my sharp teeth and the sharper fangs behind my lips, probing their edge, testing if they were appropriate to cut through flesh and shatter bones.

Oxygen finally got permission to flow into my head. When it did, so did the answer appear, like a revelation, and it agitated me to envision it so clearly, so lucidly, as if the red that took over my sight were warm blood I'd just spilt. No, it was no mere revelation. It was a promise. A premonition. I wouldn't be neck-deep in trouble if could see the future… but that vision? That violent scene?

I could see it happening anytime soon.

"I never forget an insult. Never. And when the time comes… all of them will regret the day they crossed me."

My glorified secretary didn't meet my steadfast reply with a clever another. She shifted, silent. After a moment of consideration, she finally responded.

"That I believe," said Natsuko sensibly. "I suppose we just differ in terms of strategy, just a hair. I'm more of an immediate kind of person. I'm not as fond of these long-winded payoffs, these Machiavellian schemes, satisfying as they are when they come to fruition."

I snorted.

"Drop the rational act, bitch. We both know you just wanna see blood."

And like that, any sort of sober business attitudes melted away. A little laugh slipped from Natsuko's lips. It felt somewhat surreal, seeing her changing so quickly as if her previous arguments or stances mattered so little she didn't care to defend them anymore.

"I just wish you didn't see through me so easily. It'd be fun to fool around a little more."

I slapped a hand on my face. I grumbled, shaking my head.

"It ain't like you make an effort to hide yer intentions," I responded halfheartedly. "Anyway, the… the drug issue. You've got permission to use your quirk. I want this shit defused and I want it defused by yesterday."

The gremlin perked up. I glanced at her and saw her face glow with emotion. She had an excited, almost playful expression, like a kid who'd been told she would get the toy she wanted right now.

"Really?"

"Yeah, really. Dig deep and find who's the bastard that'll get crucified. It's a risky bet but it's the next best thing after blowing up this school."

"Well… this is good news indeedy. I'm positively flattered I get to put my abilities to good use-"

"With measure, hoe. With measure," I interrupted her. "Mess with too many heads at once and someone will notice. It will happen, and then I'll have another problem in my hands. I trust yer ass will be careful on that regard at least."

Natsuko chuckled as she closed her eyes. She sat on her spot like a prim proper lady, with hands on her thighs and the gentlest, most satisfied look on her face.

"If you've taught me something, it is to not put my hands too close to the fire if I can't handle the heat. I like playing with people but I don't like it when they play with me. I'm a proud hypocrite like that."

I stretched my arms above my head. I groaned as multiple crack reverberated throughout my body. Damn, that felt nice. Sitting for so long was making my ass go numb.

"That's the most sensible thing you've said all day," I replied after a moment. "Anyway, huh, I'm thirsty again. Hey, Miwa! Get me another one of th-"

"Fuck! H-Hey, someone's injured!"

I rose from my throne immediately. Natsuko rose along, though she was more attentive to me than whatever had brought concern and alarm to my classroom. My employees were a bit slower to react but ultimately rushed to help soon enough.

I scanned the room as quickly as I could. I sought the wounded who'd suddenly mobilized everyone with such worry, and eventually found them as soon as I laid eyes on the door leading outside. I saw blood and not much else as students gathered fast and blocked the view.

I landed on the floor with a small hop and strutted towards the mass of people.

"Oi, scram! If somebody's hurt they won't pass with y'all blocking the way!" I spoke and people began to clear the path. "Now, who the hell's making such a-"

My voice got caught in my throat.

Daisuke and Yamada.

The two guys Natsuko had sent to deal with the juniors, the two guys that were under my care… beaten. Trashed. Ruined.

Daisuke was a bloody mess. The guy had been dealt a lot of punishment and the dark-colored bruises on his face were proof of that. Blood streamed down his face, staining cut lips and broken teeth. A nauseating amount of the liquid seemed to get into his mouth and then out of it in gurgling gasps for precious air. But there was fire, resistance in his eyes no matter how broken, and I hoped he'd at least put up a fight against the ones who did this.

I looked down. One of his arms had been broken and bent in an awkward angle, as if twisted like a wet shirt. He supported Yamada with his good arm and on his shoulders. And Yamada…

He was worse for fear. Terribly so. His two legs had received the same treatment as Daisuke's arm, shattered and curled in ways that should've been humanly impossible. He seemed on the border of unconsciousness, eyes tiredly staring forward as if his mind couldn't register where he was or what had happened to him.

Silence reigned for all about three seconds before Natsuko intervened.

"Clear the desks now. We need to set Yamada down."

And so they did, silently so except for one or two ill spoken orders thrown amidst frustration and hurry. The cards and food were swept away and Yamada was gently lowered on their place. I approached him.

"It looks bad," commented Natsuko as she took a better look at his incapacitated form. "Hmm… I think they might have broken his knees too. I can see fragments of bone pushing through his pants."

Several heartbeats began beating fast in quick succession as my secretary assessed the situation. I clenched my teeth to snuff out the louder part of them, but they remained in the backdrop, an ominous manifesto of emotions and intentions.

CHALLENGE.

I did a sharp turn. Then I looked up to Daisuke, who'd been seated on an empty chair. One student wiped his bloody face with a towel while other offered him water whenever he wasn't coughing out his guts.

I walked up to him. Once I was close enough, I leaned just enough so that we were looking face to face.

"Daisuke."

He perked up and sighed.

"Boss…"

"Yeah, it's me," I said slowly. "Talk to me man. What happen? Who the fuck did this?"

He blinked with effort. After taking a long, deep breath, he responded.

"Juniors… first years," he answered with a wince, as if the sole act of talking hurt him. "They were… they attack us as soon as they saw us. They got Yamada first. I tried to protect him and… ugh…I'm sorry. I'm sorry boss…"

PUNISHMENT.

I closed my eyes.

"I see. It's okay. I'm just glad you made it back," I said with a quiet voice. "Don't worry dude. This won't stay."

As I made to inch away from him, Daisuke's hand shot up to grab me.

ATTACK.

I saw him, I could've stepped away, but I didn't. I let him grab me by the arm even though his desperate touch set off every alarm in my head.

"B-Boss…!" he gasped. "Hayate, their leader… that one's trouble. Big time. He used his quirk on Yamada, broke him with a wave of the hand… you've got to…"

"Shhhh. That's enough champ. You did well. Just let me handle things from here on. I'll make them pay."

I took off his hand as gently as I could even though the voice urged me to break it break it break INSOLENCE. Not yet, not yet.

I stopped and stared at nothing in particular. I noticed the piercing stares, heard the raging heartbeats, felt the tension as if it were there trying to strangle the life out of me, trying to get a show of resistance out of me, a sign that something in all of this affected me, even if it was just a bit.

An uncomfortable silence stretched out for a couple of seconds. Then, someone broke it, though not with a shout or a scream, but a softly breathed request.

"Give the order boss."

I didn't know who said it. I didn't need to know. It might as well have been anybody and everybody in this room who gave two shits about a man on our side, a friend. They wanted vengeance. They wanted retribution. They wanted payback. Sweet, just, deserved payback. But their respect and fear were greater than their fury, and so they wanted to hear it from my mouth.

Perhaps that was the reason they weren't fit to carry out this job. Beneath their anger lurked fear, weakness. They were more confident in their numbers that they were in themselves.

PUNISHMENT. VENGEANCE.

DISRESPECT. INSOLENCE. IGNORANCE.

ATTACK ASSAULT BEAT DESTROY MAUL CRUSH BREAK

It wasn't the strategically smart option. It wasn't necessary either. I could've waited and prepared something more elaborate, something that didn't bring unwanted attention upon me or the business I wanted to keep running as smoothly as possible.

ATTACK DEMOLISH SCREAM SHATTER SMASH RAVAGE

KILL KILL KILL KILL KILLKILL KILL KILLKILL KILLKILL KILL KILLKILL KILL KILLKILL KILLKILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILLKILL KILL KILLKILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILLKILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILLKILL KILLKILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL

.

.

.

Freedom.

Honestly though? I didn't care.

They hurt two of my employees. The spat on my authority. They threatened my business.

They slighted me.

I would not have it. Not anymore.

Fuck it, I thought resolutely. This is the last straw.

"…I want all y'all to shut the school gates. I don't want no one getting outta here," I ordered with a calm voice. "I also need as many students as possible notified. There's gonna be a showdown in front of the school building. If people know what's best for 'em, they'll spectate."

The mood changed immediately. My minions smiled to each other with excited expression, whispering lighthearted curses under their breath. They were itching to unleash violence and pain. They were itching to know when and how. Unfortunately, they were to be disappointed.

"I also need one of my spare uniforms prepared. This one's gonna get ruined."

"…Boss?" muttered one of the students.

I turned to stare at the crowd and smiled.

"What? Ain't it obvious?" I said, raising my voice. "I'm going alone. Your only job is to prepare the battlefield. That's all."

I noticed most of the students readying themselves to protest my decision. They were a second short of doing so, but a quick glare settled them down. Now there wasn't excitement but indecision, and maybe worry, concern that I would share an even worse fate for my bravado. True, any other girl would've been beaten and raped if she dared, in this kind of situation. It happened many times before.

But they knew. I knew that they knew.

They still feared me much more than they feared this new threat. They knew this would only go one way… and they were right.

Natsuko stepped up. She had an unsure look on her face, though it seemed more like curiosity than any kind of worry or fear.

"That so boss?" asked she with an appeasing tone.

I didn't answer right away. I rolled my shoulders instead. I felt them creak and rearrange themselves in place as soon as I let them. Something shifted, squirmed, crawled under my skin. I felt it slithering alongside my muscles, coiling around my bones, piercing through the joints in my body. It was a restless something, a dangerous something.

Distantly, I heard metal scratching against metal.

I looked down, at the cracked bottle I was still holding in my hand.

I crushed it in my grip. Shards of glass fell to the floor and others embedded themselves deep into my palm. I gripped tighter, triturating the small bits into dust.

I opened my hand.

Fire danced on my hand. Bright blood and molten glass bubbled within the flame, slowly sinking into the open flesh, into the bones and veins and nerves.

I breathed in. I breathed out.

The air inside me came out with a beastly rumble. That same rumble, that growl, coated my next words as I spoke them.

"I'm through playin' cool. They will pay…" I enunciated. "…And I'll make them regret the day they crossed me until the day they die."


"Next chapter may come soon-ish". Hahahahaha, I'm such a freaking liar.

The problem with updating as I write is that it is dangerous to speculate when I'll be done. New ideas arise, older ones get scrapped, this bit of text needs rephrasing, that other bit needs deleting... it's a delicate and lengthy process, as most of you know. But fuck me if it doesn't feel satisfying when I finish (hehe) and finally update. I hope y'all enjoy the final product as much as I did. :D

As always, if you have time and energy to spare, I'd appreciate immensely if you shared your thoughts with me in a review! I know it's soon to say much as this first arc is more of an introduction to the story, but anything you liked, or anything I could improve on, it'd make me happy if you told me about it!

Aaaaaalso, I usually don't make a habit of teasing people with the juicy stuff of the story. I learned it kind of ruins the immersion and is essentially spoiling the plot for readers. But I'm positively sure most want to know where's the smol green cinnamon roll at.

Rest assured, he'll appear sooner than you think! Life's all about small moments and coincidences. You never know if the person next to you is a random nobody or the other end of your Red Thread. ;)

With nothing else to say, I bid you adieu! Enjoy the chap and see you later.

(also my b-day is in ten days yaaaaaaay)

(07/08/2023)